One Step Closer
by girafferous
Summary: Wilhelmina Bethany Bauer had always believed that she made her best decisions while standing in front of a mirror. It brought everything into perspective. eventual OC x Tarrant.
1. A Way Out

**Introduction ; A Way Out**

disclaimer ; the only idea I claim ownership of is the OC, and all other characters, settings, and ideas belong to Lewis Carroll, Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton, or Linda Woolverton, unless otherwise stated by myself.

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><p>Wilhelmina Bethany Bauer had always believed that she made her best decisions while standing in front of a mirror. It brought everything into perspective. Being able to see herself made everything seem <em>real<em>.

Tonight, standing in front of her mirror, she did not like what she saw.

Staring back at Mina was someone she did not recognize. Her hair which had been previously curled to perfection was a mess. Her make up that had been applied carefully was streaked with lines from tears.

She lifted her fingers to her swollen cheek, dark hues of purple and blue slowly replacing the redness. She wiped the blood from her nose the best that she could, trying to keep it from dripping on her dress.

Mina turned away from the mirror and began packing. She could no longer live with the person she had let herself become.

As she thrust her clothes into a large duffel bag she tried to fight the shame. Mina tried to justify herself, but she couldn't.

It started with love. Love, which turned into commitment, then to abuse. It was _her_ fault. She _let _him lay his hands on her. Now, she needed a way out.

The only option left was to run. She had reached her breaking point, and there was no turning back. He would never let her go, and there was no more forgiveness left inside her.

As she packed her belongings, she thought of her family. Her parents across the hall, her sister in the next room. She thought of the disappointment they would feel, of the hurt that would settle in their hearts. They wouldn't understand why she had left, and she couldn't bring her self to tell them.

Stuffing the bag full to the brim, Mina forced it to zip, its seams threatening to tear. She sat down on the floor next to it, directly in front of the mirror.

For every second she stared into her own reflection, she felt the pity and shame and fear melt away. In it's place, determination began brewing. Determination to _change_. She knew that she could no longer be a shadow of her former self. She had to change, her sanity and life depending on it.

Mina had to find herself.

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><p>The White Queen paced back and forth in her study, her hands held softly behind her back.<p>

The information she had received only hours ago was still on the forefront of her mind. The Oraculm had revealed another Prophecy. Another Champion.

Mirana was not foolish. She knew the day that she would again require a Champion was approaching. She had only thought that it would again name Alice.

Traces of disappointment washed over her face as she tried to take in the news. The scene of her Champion arriving had most certainly **not** been Alice. No, this Champion had _dark_ hair that did not fall in curls like Alice's had, and '_Oh dear.'_ She thought, stopping her self from judging the girl any further. She thought she would have learned her lesson by now, after receiving so many lectures from books on the matter.

Mirana took a seat at her desk, clasping her hands together. She rested her chin on her hands, staring out the large window her desk faced.

It was while staring out into Marmoreal in to the setting sun that she considered what the Oraculm had depicted. '_She will come to you, but only after she has made the decision to part from her world. A decision that will come from great suffering and hardship.' _ She felt a pang in her heart as she tried to imagine what kind of Uplander tragedy that her soon - to - be Champion was enduring.

Sighing quietly, Mirana realized that once her Champion arrived, the hardships would not end. The life of a Champion was a difficult one, and their responsibilities to the Queen and her kingdom were great. Representing Mirana against challengers, commanding an army, defending Marmoreal, '_Oh dear_.' She thought, '_I seem to be rambling again. She hasn't even __**arrived**__ in Underland yet, let alone take her vows!'_ With that thought Mirana resigned her self to think of those things later.

Her Champion would arrive tomorrow on the Gumpling day, and she needed to prepare herself.

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><p>Mina walked through her house quietly, just an hour before dawn. She had spent her last few hours at home preparing her self to leave.<p>

She had taken a long shower, letting the hot water drown her senses. Afterwards she had written out a letter to her family, leaving it on her bed neatly folded. She wrote of needing a change of pace, a new setting. She left her cell phone sitting on the bed next to it.

Now, standing in front of the door with her bag in hand, her free hand on the cold metal knob, she made her final decision. She twisted it, pulling the door open, quietly stepping out side. Shutting the door as gently as possible she pulled her car keys out, walking absent mindedly towards her car. She walked through the grass, rather than down the concrete pathway.

Mina fumbled with her keys, paying notice to the large tree that adorned her front yard. As she neared it, she paid no attention to the sizable rabbit hole next to its rather large roots. In fact, Mina paid no attention to the roots what - so - ever, causing her a great deal of surprise when her right foot hitched. She stumbled forward a few inches, regaining her balance temporarily, only to step right into the middle of the rabbit hole.

As she felt her foot fall inside, a rush of fear swept over her when her foot did not meet ground again. Mina braced herself against her bag, trying to use her free leg and sheer force to pull her self out.

Rather than relinquish Mina's foot, the hole widened, chunks of dirt and grass falling away into the blackness beneath her, her free foot falling inside.

Her knuckles were a ghostly white as she tried holding on to her bag, trying to keep from falling into the blackness. Mina kicked her feet wildly, trying to find something to brace them against, only to feel nothing.

Mina's heart raced with fear, and for a moment she considered screaming for help, the sound stopping abruptly in her throat. '_No!'_ She shook her head, '_I have to do this. I have to get out of this hole, and I have to get away from here.' _

Pulling all of her upper body strength together Mina hauled her self up on to her bag, breathing heavily. She smiled with triumph, not feeling the dirt begin to crumble underneath her.

It was only moments before Mina realized what was happening, and by then it was too late. She and the bag were falling into the nothingness, and in one final attempt to save herself, she let out an ear piercing scream.

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><p>the title 'One Step Closer' is from Christina Perri's A Thousand Years.<p>

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	2. Flight of the Jubjub

**Chapter One ; Flight of the Jubjub**

disclaimer ; the only idea I claim ownership of is the OC, and all other characters, settings, and ideas belong to Lewis Carroll, Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton, or Linda Woolverton, unless otherwise stated by myself.

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><p>Time, with its fickle tendancies, had seemed to slow all around her. Mina felt herself falling, but there seemed to be no end it. Her throat was raw from screaming, and as she grabbed blindly around her as the air forced tears from her eyes.<p>

She strained her eyes, trying to find some end to the blackness she was falling into. Mina breathed heavily, trying desperately to understand what was happening to her. Holes in the ground did **not** never end, she was sure of this. However, that was a mute point, as she was _still_ falling in the endless hole.

Suddenly, the rushing air stopped. She no longer felt weightless. In fact, there was something very heavy lying on top of her. She rubbing her eyes, blinking the water from them. She moved her hands, felling the roughness of crumbled dirt beneath her.

Mina groaned loudly, pushing what she had discovered to be her bag off of her. Sitting up, she looked above her head, seeing light shining in the morning sky. Her heart raced as she considered this crucial fact. If the sun was up, then there was a good chance that so were her parents.

Mina scrambled up, grabbing her bag with all of her might, throwing it out of the hole. With a rush of adrenaline produced from her despereteness, she climbed out after it, her fingers digging into the soft wet grass.

Sitting on the ground, Mina's feet still dangled within the hole. She didn't move. She didn't attempt to make a mad dash to her car. There was no car. The was no driveway. There was no house, or quiet little neighboorhod that in belonged in. There was nothing, or nothing she recognized at least.

Mina sat in the middle of a clearing, underneath a large beautiful tree. Wet pink petals clung to its branches, unlike any tree she had ever seen in her life.

Standing slowly, Mina peered out in all directions. To her left and front were more trees, all of them similar to the one she was residing under. To her right was a break in the tree line, just large enough for a pathway.

Considering very deeply staying put, Mina tried to reason with her self. _I have no idea where I am. I can't just go wandering off. _Then, she thought of the note sitting on her bed at home. "My parents can't find me, because they won't look. They won't look, because I left a note telling them I would be gone!" She cursed herself, crossing her arms over her chest.

No one was going to save her. She was on her own, just like she had wanted. The sun rose higher in the sky, the air warming. She welcomed the warm breeze as it drifted by, the leaves of the trees rustling quietly, as if conversing with one another.

Mina dared to laugh at this, _Trees can't talk_. _Then again,_ she thought, hauling her bag up onto her shoulder, _I just feel down a hole, and when I climbed out I was somewhere else._ She had to force herself remain as calm as possibly as she walked off towards the small pathway.

_Maybe I'm crazy. _Quite possibly. _Maybe I'm dreaming. _More than likely. Then, thinking the impossible, she let out a sighing laugh. _Maybe this is real.._

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><p>Sitting on a stone bench, the Queen enjoyed the serenity of the early morning. The sun warmed her pale skin as she listened to the flowers and trees talk amongst each other.<p>

The things they talked about were some times of great importance, and other times it could barely be considered chit - chat. She would often hear news from place further away, such as Queast, by listening to them. Awfuly gossipy in nature, information always moved about them rather quickly.

There was a purpose, other than leisure, to her time with the garden this morning. She had asked a small favor of them, to be her eyes and ears while she waited for her Champion. They had sent the message along, just as she had asked them too, and they were waiting for it to go full circle.

Humming a bit, she smiled as a tea tray approached, carried by a frog in a suit. "Oh _thank you," _she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in delight. "You are so thoughtful, Riverton."

Riverton set the tray on the bench next to the queen, pouring her a cup of Mandingo tea, adding her cream in sugar out of habit. He handed her the cup on a small plate, bowing out of the way as she relieved him of it. He nodded his, "Your Majesty." He stood a few feet away, his hands behind his back.

As the warm tea met her lips, Mirana let out a small sigh of contentment. She only wished she had more mornings where she could sip tea leisurely, out and about with the garden. Even now, she was there for a reason, but she indulged her self, relaxing for the moment.

Unfortunately, the moment passed to quickly, Time not allowing her to enjoy it for very long. Whispering her name, the flowers won her attention. She listened carefully, setting the tea cup and it's plate back onto the tray.

It seemed that her Champion had arrived, and was wandering straight into Tulgey Wood.

Turning away from the flowers, Mirana stood, walking towards the terrace that lead inside the castle. "Riverton, would you be a dear and fetch Tarrant for me? Ask him to meet me in my study." With those words said, she gracefully acsended the steps, heading in doors. "Yes, your Majesty." Riverton nodding while retrieving the tea tray, hurrying after the Queen.

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><p><em>This isn't right. I should have turned back ages ago.<em> The beautiful trees that had only minutes ago surronded Mina had faded into a mess of tangled leafless branches. The ground had become uneven, and Mina had to watch her step as not to trip.

It was unnervingly dark, even with the glimmers of sunshine daring to break through the mass of trees.

Tightening her hands around the strap on her back, Mina stopped for a break. She dropped the bag next to her on the ground, sitting on top of it. She kneaded her fingers into the muscle over her shoulder, trying to aliviate some of the pain.

A shrill scream startled her, forcing her hands over her ears. The noise ended momentarilly, only to be mad several times in a row, like a bird call.

Looking towards the sky, Mina saw a large shadow pass over the tops of the trees. She stood cautiously, grasping her bag with her right hand. She backed up until she felt the roughness of bark against her shirt.

Reaching back with her left hand, she moved back around the tree until her and her bag were out of sight. She crouched down low, into the creavice of a large root. Her breaths came in short, uneven gasps, threatening to give her away.

Mina waited for several minutes, almost venturing back on to the path several times. Each time she worked up the courage the shrill scream sounded, gluing her to her spot.

Clapping her hand over her mouth, Mina resisted the urge to scream as a large thud sounded on the path behind her. She heard the rustling of feathers, and her curiosity forced her head around slowly, peering over the large root.

Before her stood a bird as large as a horse. It clawed the ground angrily, snapping it's beak. She turned back around, settling back into the root. She moved her foot, stepping on a rather ill placed stick. It cracked loudly beneath her weight, the sound defeaning.

Mina froze. _It's coming closer.._ She could head the soft scrapping of the birds claws against the ground, and just as it approached the tree Mina acted. She grabbed a large rock from the ground, weighing it in her hand. She tossed it up and down twice, letting it settle in her hand.

Standing quickly, she launched the rock out past the bird. It landed in a mess of trees on the opposite side of the path. It made just enough noise to catch the bird's attention, causing it to make that hideous noise once more.

Peeking around the tree, Mina smiled at the site of the bird wandering into trees. She watched for several minutes before finally grabbing her bag. _I have to get out of here. _

She thought about turning back more than once as she fought her way through the trees, the path to her left. She didn't want to risk stepping back on it and attracting some other monster, so Mina resigned her self to the trees.

"What kind of place is this?" She whispered, grunting as she trekked on. "Some sort of crazy zoo, I'm sure."

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><p>"WER' GOING TO BE LATE FER' <strong>TEA!<strong>" A white rabbit in a suit yelled, twitching as he hopped lop - sided along the well worn path. A small dormouse chided him, "Thackery! Calm down before ye' scare the person off!" The rabbit paid no attention to her remark, only continuing to mumble things under his breath.

The dormouse, who was currently residing on the brim of a hat, looked down at the man wearing the hat. "He's going to blow the whole operation, Hatter!" The man laughed, a rather mad ring to it.

"But Mally! Being late for tea is a very **real** possibility at this moment! Why, I do say, maybe if we all start shouting at the tops of our lungs about tea time, then the very person we are to find will come out, and then I suppose they will be VERY THRISTY AND WE'LL HAVE TO -"

"Hatter!"

"Yes. Thank you. Quite sorry."

Mallymkun crossed her small arms over her chest, shaking her head at the man. He was as mad as a hatter, and rightfully he was a hatter, but there were rarely any moments that he was not mad. Since the day Alice left things had gotten peaceful, and Hatter went back to making hats for the Queen, and there was rarely a time when he would leave his workshop. She was afraid that all the mercury had finally done him in.

The trio continued along the path, finally spotting the Tulgey Wood in the distance. They had left Marmoreal over two hours ago, at the request of the White Queen.

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><p>Tarrant Hightopp had been very suspicious of the Queen's request, but accepted none the less. The break from the hat shop was something his body needed dearly, even if he refused to say so. Not that he noticed all to often. The madness usually kept him quite distracted.<p>

Tarrant knew very little of _who_ he was actually supposed to be escorting back to castle. All he did know was that it was indeed a _who_, and that they might be a little 'nervous' of strangers.

Although he saw it as perfectly acceptable to be nervous of strangers, maybe that was the madness in him. He pondered that thought a little longer, using it to pass the time.

Another half hour passed before they were at the beginning of Tulgey Wood. Thackery had stopped in front of him, and had begun waving his ladel angrily at the trees. Tarrant urged him on, knowing they neend't travel that far in the Wood. _Teh Queen said te' would be on the edge of the Wood by teh time we'd make t'here._

They continued into the Wood, Tarrant peering ahead for their visitor, only to be met with the scream of a young woman. Mally looked over the brim of his hat, raising one small eye brow. Seconds later, the trio heard the call of an all to familiar bird. Tarrant's emerald green eyes flash to a golden yellow, his voice deepening into a Scottish brogue. "The Jubjub."

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><p>Grabbing Thackery by the neck of his suit, Tarrant stormed into the Wood. He had no plan, no means of confronting the Jubjub. No, he was too far in the madness now. He couldn't even hear Mally's protesting to marching into a fight with the Jubjub with no weapons.<p>

With the sound of the approaching Jubjub, Mally tried everything to get Tarrant to snap back.

She jumped up and down on his hat, and was seconds away from jabbing him in the ear with her sword when Thackery's swinging ladel connected with Tarrants cheek.

Mally watched as Tarrant's eyes turned a reassuring shade of green. She practically fall over onto her back in relief, only to realize that the Jubjub and the girl it was chasing was approaching quickly.

"Hatter! Stop!" As the words left her mouth, Tarrant ceased moving, standing completely still. He knew just as well as she did that the only way to hide from a Jubjub bird was right infront of it.

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><p>Unfortunately for Mina, her plan of avoiding the Bird had failed miserably on her part. Looking back on her mistakes, she realized now she had underestimated the intelligence of the bird. It had caught up with her after a few hours, finding her in the tree line.<p>

She sprinted along the path, because it was much easier to sprint on the uneven path than through the trees. The Bird was only feet behind her, jogging along.

It nipped at her bag occasionally after Mina had slung it over her shoulder, giving her more freedom to run. It seemed to think she was entertaining, and each time Mina screamed it gave out it's own ear shattering scream.

While the Bird played like it was a game, Mina was running as fast as she humanly could. She didn't think that it was _fun_ at all, in fact, she thought that there was a very good chance she was giving the Bird a show before its dinner.

Mina's breaths were coming in short, desperate gasps, pulling in as much air as she could before she had to expell it back out. Her feet ached from walking all day, and her body protested with fatigue as she attempted to run faster.

The ground began to slope downward, and Mina picked up quite a bit of speed. She cried out in joy as she saw sun light off in the distance. She wasn't sure what she would do once she made it out of the trees, but she didn't care. _At least I'll be out of the damn trees._ She thought.

The Bird made another sound, nipped at her bag once more, only to connect with Mina's flesh instead. She felt some skin tear away as she screamed in pain, the Bird mocking her once more. She held her hand to her now bleeding arm, just above her right elbow. She applied as much pressure as she could while moving but the blood continued to seep through her fingers and down her arm.

Mina tore her eyes away from her arm, trying to keep her mind trained to one thing at a time. She could deal with her arm once she was out of the trees, but she couldn't do anything while the thing was chasing her. She needed a distraction.

Focusing her eyes on the exit once more, Mina noticed two figures approaching her steadily from the opposite direction. She had too much momentum to try and stop, and she couldn't spare the air that it would take to yell at them. They were going to collide, and then the damn bird would have them all for sure.

_Unless..._ She thought, making a decision that could have very well injured her badly. With only five feet between herself and the approaching duo, not sparing the time to consider that it was a man with a rabbit in a suit, she tucked her head down and threw her bag off, rolling off into a particularly rough patch of twigs in dirt.

Mina slammed into the bottom of one the twisted trees, grunting in pain. She looked up, noticing that the bird had come to a stop, staring at the man and the rabbit. It cocked it's head to one side, it's beady eyes wide. She stood quietly, ignoring the burning pain all over her body. She looked down to the ground, grabbing the thickest fallen branch she could.

_Why are they just staring at it?_ She thought as she side stepped around a tree, positioning herself behind it the great bird. If she had had more time to inspect closer, she would have been able to tell that the bird was not staring at them, but _through them_, not actually seeing the man and the rabbit.

With her only oppurtunity to save herself at hand, she couldn't risk waiting another moment. Mina's feet pushed her body forward, sprinting before pushing her body off the ground. She swung the stick high above her head, and time seemed to slow for her, allowing her to swing the branch down at the optimal moment. Time lurched forward as the bird's head and branch connect, Mina falling on top of the bird as it tumbled to the ground.

Mina scrambled off of the thing, sitting on the ground beside it. She breahed heavily, resting her head in her hands. Her dark eyes closed, listening to sounds of congratulations from three different voices. Her head pounded as she tried tell herself that there was only one person capable of words, and that she was halucinating from blood loss.

It took her a few moments to catch her breath and open her eyes, her head lifting from her hands. She laughed in defeat as she her eyes meet the sight of not two, but three faces. Two of which stared at her eagerly, whishpering excitedly to each other, one of whom was a mouse. The third was indeed a rabbit in a suit, swinging a ladel at the now unconcious bird.

_I've lost it. I've gone completely bonkers._ She thought as the small mouse climbed off of the mans rather large and curious top hat, and onto his shoulder. "That was _brilliant_ of ye'! We could have been stuck there for _ages_ if you hadn't of knocked the bloody thing out!" She squeaked, climbing down the mans coat.

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><p>Tarrant had crouched down to the girls level, completely waddled by the girl's performance against the Jubjub. She had acted right in the knick of Time. <em>Why, if it wasn't for her, we would have been <em>_**quite**__ late for tea!_ He giggled a bit as Mally gushed, already beginning to reinact the scene on the girls knee.

Taking the moment to observe her, the girl looked extremely troumpled. Her dark hair, which he assumed had once been straight, was dishevelled. She was covered from top to bottom in dirt, not including the many scrapes and bruises that covered her arms and legs. She had one particularly nasty cut on her right elbow, and Tarrant realized that it must of been the work of the Jubjub.

Her clothes did not resemble any thing Tarrant had ever seen in Underland. The trousers she wore were short and made out of a dark blue fabric, her shirt was a most interesting shade of pink, its sleeves cut short. It was clear, even to him, that she was from Upland. He tried desperately not to think of Alice.

Once Mally had finished her performance, Tarrant took the oppurtunity to help the girl, pulling the hanckerchief from his coat pocket. "Incase it hasn't been brought to yer attention yet, yer bleeding quite badly. Would you mind if I?" The girl shook her head, holding her arm out for him. He gave her a wide smile, not wanting to upset her. She already looked quite frightened as it was. "My name is Tarrant Hightopp," he said, wrapping the cloth around her arm, "and this is Mallymkun, and that over t'er is Thackery." He tied the ends of the cloth in a knot, patting her arm gently.

He stood, taking Mally off the girls knee. Setting Mally on his shoulder, he extended a caoulused hand to her. "Wer' here on behalf of teh' White Queen to escort you to teh' castle."

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><p>Mina stared in utter disbelief as the little mouse on her knee jumped about, retelling the events that had just passed. She blinked her eyes several times, trying to decide if she was hallucenating or if she had hit her head when she feel down the rabbit hole.<p>

When the mouse was done, she moved her eyes to the man who had introduced himself as Tarrant. She listened to him speak, his voice having a rather soft tone and lisp. His hair was a bright shade of orange, and stuck out from underneath his hat in rough waves. As he offered to dress her arm she nodded her head, completely incapable of words. She held her arm out for him, observing him further. His smile was large, showing a gap between his slightly stained teeth.

Once her arm was bandaged properly, he offered her assitance from her position on the ground. Mina stared as his hand, her own trembling. _Here to escort me to a __**Queen**__ in a __**castle**__, with talking mouse and rabbit?_ She thought, her heart pounding as she tried to rationalize with her self. _Breath, Mina. If a mouse and rabbit can talk, which you've seen quite clearly, then what's so difficult to believe that there's a Queen in a castle. That's the most sane thing that's come across all day. _

Taking his hand, Mina let him pull her to her feet, stumbling a bit as she regained her ground. _Even if you have fallen off your rocker, you can't very well sit in the middle of this forest one moment longer. _With so many questions on her mind, and no answers for them, she needed to get to some one who could help answer them.

Looking up at the man- _No, Tarrant,_- Mina tried to find something to say so that she didn't come across as crazy as she felt.

"Mina." She sputtered out as he retrieve her bag, putting it on his own shoulder.

"Pardon?" He asked, looking at her rather curiously.

"Wilhelmina. Bethany. Bauer. My name." She sighed, failing miserably at sounding the slightest bit sane.

To her suprise he smiled at her once more. "Well, _Miss Bauer_, let's get going, shall we?"

Mina nodded her head, falling in step behind the man- _No, Tarrant, you bat - _and his company. As they reached the edge of the tree line, Mina could help but smile as her foot met the soft grass, sunlight pouring down from the sky. Her moment of joy was disrupted when she noticed a large white creature, with features similiar to that of a bear, standing infront of them.

It had a rather ferocious face, one that had Mina ready to retreat back into the trees. Tarrant turned back to face her, giggling at the look on her face. "Come on, lass. Teh' bandersnatch tis' nothing to be afraid of compared to teh' Jubjub." He said, gesturing back to the unconcious creature they had left behind. "T'would seem that teh' Queen has sent him for ye'. From teh' looks of ye', ye' could use a bit of assitance gettin' back to teh' castle. Tis' a bit of a walk, I'm afraid."

Mina looked at him, shaking her head. "You want me to _ride that?_"

This brought a smile to his lips, giggling at her. "Unless ye' think yer' in teh' shape to _walk_ for teh' next three hours."

There was no arguing with the fact that she was tired. Or that if she attempted to walk for three more hours that she might collapse. Sighing with defeat, Mina took a few shaking steps towards the beast, holding out her hand carefully as if it might eat it in a moments notice.

It breathed heavily as Mina's fingers brushed it's fur. She jumped a bit, not expecting it to feel quite so soft. She rested her hand on it, rubbing it's head gently. It seemed to relax a bit under her touch, sniffing her shirt cautiously.

The bandersnatch was quite tall, and even in perfect health Mina would had to have jumped to mount it. Tarrant and Mallymkun giggled as she looked up at the bandersnatch, a look of exhaustion in her eye.

"Miss Bauer, would ye' like a bit of help getting on?" Tarrant said, stepping forward. Mina nodded, lifting her arms up to the bandersnatch's back. Tarrants hands held her waist, lifting her up so that she could swing one leg over its back. He kept one hand on her waist until he was sure she was steady.

"Thank you." Mina said, settling onto the back of the bandersnatch.

"Tis' no problem t'all. Now, let us head back to teh' castle. Tis' nearly brillig as we speak!" Tarrant's exclamation of the time met the rabbits ears, and it began jumping about. "Wer' going to be late fer' **tea!**" Thackery shouted as the bandersnatch began to walk, Tarrant and the two creatures following suit.

Mina felt the smallest beginnings of a smile, and if it hadn't been for her lack of energy and completely boggled mind, she would have let the smile grace her lips.

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><p>author's note ; Five years have passed in Underland since Alice defeated the Jabberwocky. Just over one - hundred years have passed in Upland. Time passed slowly in Underland as they awaited Alice's return, but Alice grew successful in her father's business. Slowly forgetting her promise to return to Underland, Alice lives out her life in Upland, staying there for the remainder of her life.<p>

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	3. Moving Forward

**Chapter Two ; Moving Forward**

disclaimer ; the only idea I claim ownership of is the OC, and all other characters, settings, and ideas belong to Lewis Carroll, Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton, or Linda Woolverton, unless otherwise stated by myself.

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><p>"Of course <em>ye <em>would enjoy the color, look at the mess on this head!" Mally protested, pulling on a wisp of Tarrant's orange hair.

"Now, now. I must say that ter' are many _other_ enjoyable things that are teh' color orange. Just like-" Before Tarrant had a chance to start naming various items and their uses, Mina spoke.

"Excuse me, sir?" Her voice was small, almost a whisper. She hadn't felt nearly comfortable enough to address him by his first name, and she couldn't remember his last name to save her life. It had been the first thing she had spoken for nearly half an hour, and she wasn't sure if she had even said the words at all, or if she had merely thought them to herself. That was until Tarrant all but erupted into a fit of laughter, while Mally could hardly contain herself, then she was _sure_ she had said them. "Ye' couldn't possibly be talking about this bohunkus!" Mally choked out, laughing in between each word. Tarrant reached up to his hat, trying to swat Mally about, leading her to stick him in the finger with her hat pin. She stuck her tongue out at him as he pulled his hand away. "Go on, _sir. _I believe some one was talking to ye'."

By the time the small charade was over, Mina was so profoundly embarrassed that the half of her face that wasn't covered in a bruise had turned red. She had never liked being the object of others entertainment, especially if it was at her expense. "Lass, I'm afraid that I must _insist_ that ye' call me Tarrant, so that neither of us have to put up with this rodent's mockery. Now, is ter' something ye' wished to ask me?" Mina nodded her head, appreciating the change of subject. Mally, who took offense to being called a rodent, leapt from Tarrant's shoulder to Mina's. "Hope ye' don't mind me much, being a rodent an' all."

Mina ignored the private pity party Mally was throwing on her shoulder.

"This is all real, isn't it?" She asked, turning her head to look Tarrant in the eyes.

"I do hope so! It would be a bit of a situation if it wasn't. I don't believe it's a dream, either. A bit too much _real_ness to be a dream, if ye' ask me." He stated, smiling her way, trying to lighten the air. Mina wished that she could agree with him, but there was very little that seemed real about what was happening to her.

"If this is all real, and it's not a dream, then where is this place?"

"Tis' place, _Underland_, is below where I believe that ye' came from. If tis' not too bold of me, how exactly did ye' end up here?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice that suggested he knew very well how Mina had ended up in Underland, but wanted the confirmation of her saying so.

"Well," Mina began thinking back on the entirety of her day, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "I was trying to leave my house, and made it only as far as the tree, where I fell into a rabbit hole. I tried to climb out, but fell in anyways. It felt as though I had been falling in the hole for hours before I felt the bottom and finally climbed out. Then I was here."

"Curiouser and couriouser! What were ye' running from?" He asked, a tone of excitement accompanying his words.

"Excuse me?" Mina asked, rather uncomfortable with the subject. How he seemed to know that she was running from something was quite unsettling.

"Pardon me," Tarrant rushed out, "I only meant to ask because ye' don't just leave Upland and find ye' self in Underland for no reason. Something brought ye' here."

Mina shook her head, denying any such reasons. She had never shared the darker aspects of her relationship with any one before. She would rather sound impolite than risk the embarrassment of revealing the truth.

Tarrant, who Mina had begun to suspect was more insightful than she was giving him credit for, smiled at her. He didn't ask her any more questions concerning the topic and continued walking.

Mina fell quiet, her eyes trained to her hands as they loosely gripped the Bandersnatch's fur. There was so much going on around her that she didn't understand. She felt very much confused, scared, and alone at the same time. Each emotion fought for her idividual attention and she felt very overwhelmed. Nothing was coming easy, and all at once she felt a little queasy.

Mally had settled into the crook of her neck and had become as quiet as Mina had. Mina assumed that she was sleeping.

Mina could feel the rhythmic pace of the Bandersnatch, and she knew where she was physically. Mentally, she was some where else. She thought about her family, who had surely figured out by now that she was gone. '_God knows where they think I am.'_ She thought, wondering slightly if she would ever see any of them again. If she really was in another world, was there any way to get back home? She felt as if 'be careful what you wish for' had been redefined for her.

Mina thought about Daniel, her boyfriend, who had probably gone to her house looking for her after what had happened the night before. She shuddered when she thought about how angry he was going to be with her. She lifted her fingers to her face, running them over her bruised cheek. It was a testament of his anger, and it was just one of many that she had worn through out their relationship.

It had been Mina and Daniel's two year anniversary the night before, and it had ended just as badly as any other night with him had, if not much worse. She had taken too long to get ready to go to dinner, so he left with out her, leaving her alone at home. Mina tried to calling him to apologize, only for him to show up three hours later, drunk off his ass.

_Mina opened her door, revealing Daniel who reeked of alcohol. He leaned against the door way, smirking at her. "You miss me?" He asked, stepping inside. "Daniel, where have you been?" Her words were timid as she spoke, backing up away from the door. She didn't want to upset him, especially when he was drunk. He stepped inside the house, closing the door. He closed the distance between him, putting an arm around her shoulder, gripping it tightly with his finger tips. "I went out. You didn't seem to give a fuck." _

_"That's not true, I was just running a few minutes late.." She shrunk under his touch as he lead her upstairs to her room, shutting the door behind them. Her parents weren't home, and her sister was out with her friends. She was alone with him, and he knew that._

_"Are you calling me a fucking liar? What the fuck were you trying to look so nice for anyways?" Daniel stood infront of the door, blocking the only way out of the room. _

_"I just wanted to look nice for you. I thought maybe.." Mina's words were pleading, her eyes begging him to calm down._

_"You thought what? You thought I would like it if you wasted my fucking time waiting on your fat ass to try and look 'nice'? You could have all the time in the world and it wouldn't fucking help your ugly ass." He laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. _

_Mina fought to keep her composure. She looked up into the light, forcing the tears brimming around her eyes back. _

_"Oh, what? Are you going to cry? Are your fucking feelings hurt? Answer me?" Daniel grabbed her by the arm, pulling her towards him. She cried out, the tears she had fought so hard spilling out. He pushed her back, letting go of her arm. He pulled his arm back like he was going to hit her, laughing as she flinched. "Aww, are you afraid I'm going to hit you?"_

_Mina shook her head, wiping the tears off her face. "No.."_

_"Oh, you're not? You're not afraid of me? I think we need to change that." _

_"Daniel, no. Please!" She backed away from him, but to no avail. He grabbed her by the neck, punching her in the stomach. She buckled, her arms holding her stomach. She fought to breath as he tightened his grip. He held her there for a few moments before letting go, pushing her to the ground. "How about now, are you afraid of me now, bitch!" Daniel kicked her in the side and she let out a scream, curling into a ball. "Get the fuck up. I want to see your face while I tell you all about the bitch I fucked earlier." He took her by the hair, forcing her to stand. "Hot as shit, unlike your ugly ass." _

_Mina avoided his eyes, looking at the ground until he grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me when I talk to you. Do you want me to hit you? Is that it? You just want to piss me the fuck off until I snap, don't you? Don't you!" He smacked her across the face, letting her fall down onto the bed. _

_She turned over onto her side, burying her face in the blanket. Her hot tears began to soak the fabric, and she could hear Daniel laughing. She gripped the blanket with her fingers, wishing to be some where safe. Some where far away from him. Seconds later she felt a hand take the back of her dress, pulling her up. The next thing she saw was Daniel's fist seconds before it connected with her cheek. He threw her against the opposite wall, into a picture frame. The glass shattered, most of it ending up in Mina's arm. She slid down the wall, crying loudly. He kicked her once more in the side. "Have you learned your lesson yet? Are you done making me hit you, bitch?" Mina nodded her head slowly, not daring to look up at him. "I thought so. If you would just stop fucking with me, I wouldn't have to do this to you." He spit on her, laughing. "I'll see you tomorrow, __**baby.**__'' Daniel turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. _

_Mina waited to hear the front door slam shut before she scrambled to her feet, crying as she locked her door. She waited there for several minutes, listening carefully, silent tears streaming down her face. When she was finally sure that Daniel wasn't coming back for more, she turned away from the door, finding her self standing infront of her mirror. It was an understatement to say that the sight of herself was sickening. _

Mina shook her head, pulling herself out of her mind. This woke Mally, who grumbled something incoherent before falling back asleep.

She could feel moisture on her face, and realized that she had been crying. She wiped her tears away with her hands furiously. Mina looked to Tarrant who was several feet ahead of herself. She hoped that meant that he hadn't witnessed her stroll down memory lane. Thackery was busy swinging at Tarrant with his ladle, and Mina watched as Tarrant dodged each shaky swing with ease.

* * *

><p>Tarrant had never been gifted with what Mirana called 'tact', and his lack of so called 'tact' was what he was sure had upset the poor Uplander. Between himself and Mally, they had managed to upset her twice within minutes! It seemed much worse to him that it was also the first time she had spoken since they left the Wood.<p>

Tarrant, who had always been rather observant of subtle details, noticed that this particular Uplander seemed to be previously injured. Previously pertaining to her encounter with the Jubjub. He had pried a little too much to try and retrieve the explanation behind the not - so - fresh bruises and cuts, and had landed him self in a predicament. Tarrant was sure that Mirana would be quite flustered with him. He had specifically promised to be perfectly kind and respectable to the girl, and it looked like he had broken that promise.

He peeked back over his shoulder, watching the girl. She looked frightfully sad and positively deep in thought. Directing his attention forward, Tarrant tried to occupy his mind with things to keep himself entertained. Mally was obviously ignoring him, and Thackery was too busy having a conversation with his ladle to have one with Tarrant, so he was left to his own devices. He began considering things that began with the letter 'M', and discovered that there was a new 'M' on his list. _'What a particularly interesting name 'Mina' is!'_ He thought, pronouncing it in his head several different ways. '_Miss Wilhelmina Bethany Bauer! Quite teh' strong name!' _He mused, taking into account that it matched her obviously strong personality. Why, only some one with a strong personality could have the courage to take one a Jubjub the way she had!

Then again, the girl riding behind him on the Bandersnatch did not seem as though she had a strong personality. If she had, would she have let him upset her so easily? Tarrant glanced back at the girl who was now _crying_. He could have kicked himself a thousand times. Mirana was not going to be happy with him, not happy _at all._

Considering his options, Tarrant decided to do his best to cheer her up. He started to turn around, only to have to duck to avoid a gleaming ladle aimed for his head. He leapt to the left as Thackery swung again, the ducking and swinging continued on for several minutes until Tarrant had remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

Grabbing Thackery by the ears, Tarrant lifted him several feet above the ground. "Now, ye' either stop swingin' at meh' or I carry ye' back home." Thackery swung his ladle angrily, hitting nothing but air before finally complying. "Jus' pet meh' don!" Tarrant dropped the grumpy rabbit to the ground, noticing that they had fallen behind Mally and the girl. He hurried the rabbit along until they caught up, Tarrant falling into step beside Mina.

Taking the time to observe that the tears he had seen earlier had disappeared, he approached her very carefully. "Miss Bauer, I would like teh' apologize fer' upsetting ye' earlier." She tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at him. "You didn't upset me, but thank you. I was just a bit, well, taken back I guess." She said, shrugging her shoulders. Tarrant could feel something much deeper going on, but he decided that it was in his best interest not to launch an inquiry. "I do wish, Miss Bauer, that ye' never let meh' take ye' Back again. It seems like a dreadful place, and quite frankly Forward is always teh' best way teh' go. In my opinion of course."

The girl let out a laugh, truly smiling for the first time that day. Tarrant could have done handstands the entire journey back to Marmoreal he was so happy. "I agree. Forward seems like a fantastic way to go from now on. In fact, I have a wish of my own, Tarrant." She said, smiling back at him. Tarrant's stomach fluttered in a way he was very unfamiliar with, and he practically had to force the words from his throat. The way she spoke his name was very interesting to him, and he supposed that he liked the sound of it quite much. "What would that be, Miss Bauer?" He asked, fidgeting with the strap on the rather large bag he was toting.

"Call me anything but _Miss Bauer_. It makes me sound like an old crone."

It was Tarrant's turn to laugh. "A crone? That sounds absolutely frightful. Perhaps _Mina_ is a bit more suiting to ye' tastes then?"

She nodded her head, agreeing with him fully. "Much more suiting."

* * *

><p>Mirana, who had always been a bit of a worry - wart, was tapping her foot softly on the ground, looking around her apothecary. Her 'apothecary' was actually the kitchen, where she spent her time whipping up wondrous medicines and potions along side Thackery, who would usually be busy whipping up wondrous dishes. Even though Mirana had a very large and private working space in her tower, she much preferred working in the kitchen, where she would rarely find herself lonely.<p>

Today Mirana found herself _very_ lonely, worried, anxious, and exasperated, all of which being rather un - Queenly things. She had pulled all of her most common medicines from her backstock, trying to prepare for the worst. She took note of every available ingredient, attempting to occupy her time productively. She wondered how many of the medicines would work on the Uplander, considering that all of them were tailored for Underlandians.

Mirana was currently busy studying a book, her eyes focused very intensely on its print. The small leather bound book was everything anyone knew about Upland and Uplanders, and most of the information was very privileged. Very few, five to be exact, were allowed access to the one and only copy of the book. It included the process to opening a looking - glass passage way, which was one of the Queen's closely guarded secrets. Mirana was the only one of the five who knew the correct way to open a looking - glass passage way, the only other way to access Upland with out using a rabbit hole.

One interesting thing Mirana had stumbled upon was that Uplander's anatomy was fairly standard from person to person, which was not the case with Underlandians, especially concerning circulatory systems and internal organs. This troubled Mirana greatly, and she had dedicated the last hour of her time to memorizing everything available about Uplander biology. When she was sure that there was nothing left for her to learn, she wandered over to the balcony.

From her view in the balcony Mirana could see the two suns beginning to set, and she was expecting Tarrant back anytime now. She had sent them off some five and a half hours ago, sending Bandy off after them shortly after they departed. Tarrant had insisted that he would rather walk bare foot than ride a horse, but sent Bandy on a second thought. If the girl had indeed ran into trouble in the Wood, which was extremely likely, Mirana wanted her to at least have a comfortable ride back.

Mirana's heart skipped a beat when she heard the kitchen door opened behind her, the familiar rhythm of Riverton approaching her. She turned to face him, kneeling down. "Your Majesty, the Hatter and your guest are approaching." She smiled, her hands on either side of her face. "Oh! How wondermoneous! How long until they reach the palace?" She asked, rising from her position. "No more than half an hour's time, your Majesty. I will prepare her quarters." With those words said, Riverton bowed, leaving the kitchen.

"Oh, dear." She breathed, turning back to the balcony, bracing her delicate hands against it. Her eyes lingered on the garden, wishing her life was simple enough to enjoy it. Unfortunately, things around Marmoreal were going to get much more complicated with the arrival of their soon - to - be Champion. Even though the Oraculum foretold the Uplander accepting the title, it was Mirana's personal mission to make sure she accepted of her own free will. If the title was accepted under pressure of Mirana or someone else, it could have serious implications on the future of Underland. Then again, if the girl refused to accept her title her own future would be questionable, as well as Underland's.

Mirana was unsure of how long she stood gazing out over the balcony. She couldn't force herself to tear her eyes away from the beauty until the absolutely last moment, when Nivens was pulling at her hand. Mirana's guest had finally arrived.

* * *

><p>The length of their journey made Mina realize how truly exhausted her body was. Tarrant, who Mina believed was determined to keep her smiling for the rest of the day, seemed to have an endless supply of riddles. Just when Mina thought she had finally solved the last one, moments later he had another ready for her. If one was particularly challenging Mally would chime in, and even Thackery would attempt to help her. It made the time go by faster, and kept her from going Back, which Mina suspected was the real reason that Tarrant kept telling her riddle upon riddle.<p>

They had been on the move for two and a half hours, and Mina wanted nothing other than food and sleep. She was dotting on the edge of falling asleep when Tarrant noticed her close her eyes. "Ah! Ye'll enjoy tis' one. What's once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in ah' thousand years?" He asked, throwing another riddle her way. Mally leapt to her feet on Mina's shoulder. "Ye' dirty dog!" Mina looked at Tarrant, raising an eyebrow. "There seems to be something I'm missing here."

Tarrant laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, meh' lass. Mally has never been able teh' solve tis' particular riddle."

Mally stuck her tongue out at him, huffing. "And Hatter refuses to tell me the answer!"

"I do believe that it keeps her up at night." Tarrant said, laughing.

Mina laughed quietly, yawning. She redirecting her attention to the riddle, knowing that Tarrant was already expecting an answer from her.

"I would never give ye' the satisfaction."

Mina didn't bother to try and interrupt the banter between Mally and Tarrant until she was absolutely positive that she knew the answer.

"Tarrant." Mina said, giving him a quizzical smile.

"Yes, meh' lass?" He said, giving her a knowing smile. It was easy to tell when she had figured out an answer.

"The letter 'M'?" She asked, slightly unsure of her answer.

Tarrant smiled, gathering his hands behind his back. "Congratulations are in order. Ye' have surpassed teh' rodent."

Mina smiled, grabbing Mally before she could leap at Tarrant. Mally swung her hat pin in Tarrant's direction, slashing it about as Mina held her gently in her hands. "Let me go, ye' dirty Uplander!"

Mina smiled, deciding not to take offense to Mally's insult. "Now, now, Miss Mally. I know you don't mean that, and I know that if I let you inflict any damage on Tarrant you'll only regret it later." This settled Mally down, for the most part. If there was one thing that Mina had learned in the last three hours it was that Mally was a _very_ temperamental and determined little dormouse. They already had established a mutual respect for each other, and Mina would even go as far to say they were some what friends, if one could be friends with a dormouse.

Tarrant cleared his throat, and Mally became very still, climbing out of Mina's hands. She dashed to the top of the Bandersnatch's head, peering out into the horizon. They had just reached the top of a rather large hill, and Mina was confused by the sudden change in attitude by her companions, and decided to try and figure out what they were looking at. She was surprised, to say the least, at what she saw.

Directly in the distance stood a magnificently white castle, looming over clusters of small villages. Tall towers jutted from the massive structure in pairs, each pair a different height. White flags danced gracefully in the wind, and Mina could make out a large stone wall surrounding the entirety of the castle.

From their position the castle seemed small, but as they descended the hill Mina could see how gargantuan it really was. She took a deep breath, feeling very overwhelmed. Tarrant was the first to speak. "I told ye' there was a castle."

She nodded her head, her fingers gripping the fur of the Bandersnatch. Mina had been so distracted the entire trip that she had completely _forgot_ where they were going to begin with. Mina looked down at her bloody and torn clothes. Her shorts entirely too short and shirt too lowcut. She glanced back at Tarrant, who was still carrying her bag. She hadn't packed anything nice enough to wear infront of a queen, considering the unlikeliness of the situation.

Mina sighed, running her fingers through her previously straight hair. Her hair was so long that it tangled easily, and she couldn't imagine what it looked like after being chased through the woods by the Bird.

"Tarrant, what do you call that Bird?" She asked as she did her best to pick bits of twigs and dirt from her mass of dark hair.

"Ye' mean the one that ye' so bravely took on? Teh' Jubjub."

"The Jubjub? Why did it chase me?" She asked, a little confused by it's name. She believed that such a dangerous bird should have a more serious name.

"Teh' Jubjub isn't a very _smart_ bird. Tis' easy to control and manipulate. Has a very odd sense of humor. Teh' be completely honest, I'm sure teh' bird thought ye' were it's play thing."

"How comforting." She said, glancing over at Thackery, who looked absolutely delighted to be so close to home. Mally climbed down from the Bandersnatch's head, standing on Mina's thigh. "Are ye' excited to meet the Queen?"

Mina shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't say excited. I feel very confused."

"I believe I'm most curious about why ye' are here in Underland. Not that I mind ye' company, lass." Tarrant said, his green eyes lingering on her.

"I just don't understand how any of you knew I was here to begin with, let alone why I'm here. I mean, I'm still not convinced that this isn't all a big hallucination. I mean, maybe I hit my head when I tripped over the tree root, or maybe Daniel -." Mina stopped as soon as she realized what she was about to say. She took a deep breath, waiting for the subject to change.

* * *

><p>Several seconds went by before Mally became impatient, poking Mina in the thigh with her hat pin. Mina jumped, and Mally almost fell off the girl. As soon as Mally recovered her ground she gave Mina a questioning look. "Ye' were saying? Something about a Daniel?" It was just too interesting of a topic for Mally to pass up. After all, they knew practically nothing about the girl, and Mally had a feeling Mina had been about to say something <em>very<em> personal.

Mina laughed nervously, and Mally knew she was trying to play off the conversation. "Oh, nothing."

"Well who is he?" Mally asked, prying forward.

She watched Mina looked at over to Tarrant, who seemed very disinterested. Mally could have choked the idiot, but let it slide for the moment. "He's someone I used to be with."

This satisfied Mally momentarily, but she still wanted to know more. "Ah, things didn't work out did they? Didn't treat ye' right, did he?"

Mina smiled softly, nodding her head. "Something like that."

"Well, good riddance I say. Wouldn't ye' agree Hatter?" Mally asked pulling him back into the conversation. She felt terrible for Hatter. In the five long years that Alice had been gone she had witnessed Hatter slowly slip away. Mally believed that Hatter had started to Love Alice. The big Love, not just the way that Mally loved Hatter or Mirana. Alice, on the other hand, left Hatter in Underland alone, leaving him with nothing but an obviously empty promise.

It seemed to Mally that Hatter was a bit jealous, but she couldn't be sure. Either way, wouldn't let him be rude. After he didn't answer her for several moments, Mally got rather impatient. "Hatter. HATTER."

"Oh! Yes, terribly sorry."

Mally shook her head, deciding to let Hatter make a bohunkus out of himself. All in all, it had been a very long day, and Mally just wanted to be at home enjoying a nice cup of tea. Fortunately, they were only minutes away from the castle gates.

* * *

><p>While Mina could tell there was something deeper going on between Mally and Tarrant, she was more concerned with the fact that they had reached the white stone wall that surrounded the castle. Two rather odd looking guards were posted infront of the entrance. They had the bodies of normal men, but their heads resembled white chess pieces. Mina felt a little uncomfortable looking at them, but couldn't help staring at them as they opened the gate, revealing a long stone pathway lined with trees.<p>

As they crossed through the stone wall and down the pathway, Mina finally saw the entrance to the castle. Two large wooden doors were open wide, and in the door way stood another white rabbit, and a woman wearing a beautiful white gown. They reached the set of stone steps that lead to the doorway, the Bandersnatch stopping infront of them. Tarrant came to her side, and Mina let him help her down. Whatever had kept him quiet earlier had left him, and he as he took her hands Tarrant gave her a small reassuring smile. His voice was soft and quiet. "Yer' hands are shaking, lass."

Mina took a deep breath, nodding her head. "I know." She looked up at the woman nervously, knowing that she was looking at the Queen.

"Tis' going teh' be okay. Teh' Queen is teh' kindest woman in all of Underland."

Mina didn't speak, but looked up at him instead. She wanted to believe what he said, but she was still so scared. If she thought she had felt overwhelmed later, it was nothing compared to how she felt starting up at the Queen.

They started to ascend the stairs, and Tarrant kept ahold of one of her hands. As her free hand shook at her side, Tarrant kept the other one steady. Mally sat on her shoulder, holding onto her hair, Thackery at her side. It was odd who close she felt to the them. Only hours earlier they had been completely strangers in a foriegn place. Now, she was scared to leave them.

The Queen took a few fluttering steps towards them, meeting them at the edge of the stairs. Her hair was white, but her eyes and lips were a dark burgundy color. Her hands were positioned like she was about to conduct a choir, a worried look on her face.

Mina's heart raced and her hand tightened into Tarrant's. She felt his calloused fingertips against her smooth skin, and she felt safe. Tarrant was the first to speak. "Yer' Majesty, I would like teh' present Miss Wilhelmina Bethany Bauer. Took down teh' Jubjub single handed."

The woman's dark eyes widened. "Tarrant! You promised me she wouldn't get hurt! Well, I suppose it's all done and over with now." She gave Tarrant a look, sighing. She returned her gave to Mina, resting a hand softly on her cheek. Mina was surprised at how oddly comforting it was. "I am Mirana of Marmoreal, the White Queen and I welcome you to my home. Now, why don't you come along inside with me, and we'll take care of these injuries?" Mina nodded her head, but looked back at Tarrant.

The Queen smiled, stepping back. "Perhaps a moment to say goodbye is in order? I'll be waiting just inside the doorway. Come along, Nivens." With that said the Queen and the white rabbit entered the castle, slipping out of sight.

Tarrant smiled at her, taking her other hand in his, holding them up. "Ye' did fantastic, lass. Although, I would try teh' speak next time."

Mina laughed, nodding her head. "I'll be sure to. This is all so very..."

"Wondertastically exciting?"

"Something like that." Mina smiled, looking inside the doorway. She looked back to Tarrant, then to Thackery and Mally. "I feel as though I'm saying goodbye to people I've known for years. Will I get to see you all again?"

Tarrant laughed. "Ye'll see us again. Probably more than ye'd like. We'll never be to far away."

Mina saw the rabbit's head peek out from the door way, but yanked back quickly. "Do you promise?"

"I promise. In teh' mean time, I have a riddle for you to solve in meh' absence. I am as large as a castle, yet lighter than air. A hundred men and ter' horses cannot move me. What am I?"

Mina memorized the words, nodding her head. She wrapped her arms around his torso, holding herself there for a few moments. Letting go, she smiled as Tarrant handed her the bag from his back, Mina slinging it over her shoulder. She waved at Thackery and Mally, leaving the three behind on the steps as she slipped inside the doorway.

* * *

><p>reviews are loved :]!<p> 


	4. Answers

**Chapter Three ; Answers**

disclaimer ; the only idea I claim ownership of is the OC, and all other characters, settings, and ideas belong to Lewis Carroll, Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton, or Linda Woolverton, unless otherwise stated by myself.

* * *

><p>The inside of the castle was just as beautiful as the outside, but as Mina totted behind the woman in front of her, she couldn't make herself appreciate it. She was so unbelievably tired that she could barely hold herself up, let alone her duffle bag. Forcing her self to focus of the pure white hair of the Queen, Mina blinked, stopping for a moment. She stumbled, leaning against the wall to her right. Her vision was beginning to blur, her head pounding. Closing her eyes, Mina concentrated on her breathing.<p>

Tightening her grip on the wall, Mina slid down it, knocking over what she assumed to be a small decorative table. Breathing was only capable in short gasps, and her skin was hot to the touch. She forced the bag off of her, pushing it to the side. She stayed kneeling on the ground for as long as she could force her self, but it all became too much for her body to handle. She swayed slightly before falling completely, her face meeting the cool comfort of the stone floor. For a moment she could still hear the voice of the Queen, followed shortly by Tarrant's and Mally's. The next moment, everything was silent and still.

* * *

><p>Tarrant took a deep breath, watching the girl round the corner with Mirana, only steps behind her. Mally tugged at his pant leg, and as he knelt to lift her to his shoulder, the dormouse was pratically giddy. "I like her."<p>

Tarrant held her at eye level, shrugging his shoulders. "Ye' would do better teh' not get attached. She may not be in Underlan' very long."

Mally shook her head, scurrying up his arm to his shoulder. "If ye' say so. But I've got a good feelin' about her."

Tarrant decided it was best not to respond. His head was far to frazzled, and all he cared about at the moment was getting a nice cup of tea in his system. Thackery had already taken off to the kitchen to prepare the tea, and just as Tarrant took his first step inside the door way, he heard a small crash come from the hallway to the left. He paused for a moment, listening further. Several seconds later Nivens appeared from around the corner, a very frazzled look on his face. "The Queen requires your assistance. It's the girl."

Tarrant tilted his head to the side, taking several steps towards the hallway before rounding the doorway. Down the hallway in the distance he could see Mirana knelt down, a mess of black hair sprawled across her lap. Moving closer Tarrant was able to make out that it was indeed the girl that had left his side only moments ago. He quickened his pace, arriving at Mirana's side. He knelt on to one knee beside her, Mally and Tarrant both peering at the girl.

Mirana looked up at the two of them, waving them back. "She's just exhausted. Give her some breathing space you two. Tarrant, give me a hand, will you? Would you mind carrying her to her quarters?" I need to get a few things together for her."

Tarrant nodded his head, grabbing Mally by the torso, lowering her to the ground. He moved an arm underneath Mina's knees, the other underneath her shoulders as Mirana moved away. He lifted Mina up, holding her against his chest. "To teh' east wing?" Tarrant asked, assuming she had meant the guest's quarters.

Mirana shook her head. "No. To the south wing."

Tarrant didn't understand. "Why in all of Underlan' would she be staying in teh' south wing? Isn't that teh' wing that surrounds yer' tower? Isn't that teh' -"

Mirana, who seemed to be a bit short, turned on her heel, gliding away from him. "Yes, Tarrant. It is."

Tarrant's eyes flashed a bright orange, and he took a very deep breath. He looked down at the young woman in his arms, and his heart ached for her. He felt a tug on his pants, and he nodded his head. He began walking, Mally in tow.

Once they had reached a considerable distance from where Mirana was headed, Tarrant looked down at Mally, who seemed to be almost as distraught as he was.

"How could she?"

"What do ye' mean?" Mally asked, staring up at him as he walked.

Tarrant shook his head. "Another girl from Upland? What about Alice?"

Mally looked down at the ground, crossing her arms behind her back. "Hatter, I don't think Alice is coming back. It's been five years, maybe longer fer' her."

Tarrant, who couldn't stand to listen to Mally rationalize with him, shrugged his shoulder softly. "Even so. She could barely hold her own against teh' Jubjub. Do ye' not remember what an actual Champions duties are? She's going teh' be puttin' this lass's life in danger."

They approached a set of double doors, stopping in front of them. On each side of the doors stood two rather magnificent tiger statues. The two were carved from gleaming white marble and were full sized replications, and as Tarrant reached for the door handle they both began to growl quietly. He took a step back, an impatient look on his face.

The tiger on the right, Areli, stepped off of his platform, circling Tarrant and Mally. The tiger on the left, Arieh, moved to block the door, his tail swaying back and forth.

"What brings you to the Queen's tower, Hatter." Areli always spoke with an authoritative attitude, and had a clear problem with Tarrant. Tarrant couldn't come within five feet of the Queen's doors without a full interrogation, even if Mirana had been the one to summon him. Tarrant shifted Mina's weight in his arms, staring past the two. His voiced was removed and cold. "We 'ave a delivery."

Mally jumped about on the ground. "Would ye' two move yer' great stone lumps out of the way! Teh' poor girl needs her rest."

"Listen you two," growled Arieh. "I'm not in the mood for your antics. There are guest quarters for a reason. Move along."

Mirana strolled around the bend, her arms riddled with small glass bottles. "Areli. Arieh. She's a very important guest. I would also like to hear your tone of attitude change when you are addressing my friends."

The two nodded their heads, moving back to their stone platforms. "Yes, your Majesty."

The doors swung open, revealing a long circular hallway. Mirana moved to the right, Tarrant keeping pace behind her. They had to have passed at least eight sets of doors before Mirana stopped in front of one, shifting the bottles in her arms to open the door.

The room inside was large and luxurious, truly befitting of a Champion. There was a large canopy bed in the center of the room, satin white curtains lining the edges. Tarrant moved across the room with Mina in his arms, approaching the bed. He lowered her body down, settling her near the edge. He turned to face Mirana, watching her arrange her bottled remedies. He took a seat at the edge of the bed, near Mina's feet.

Mirana turned around, looking him in the eye. "Does she have any idea as to why she is here?"

Tarrant shook his head, watching as Mirana began to apply a thick layer of purple paste. It was made from the eggs of Jubjub birds, and was used to heal wounds made specifically by the Jubjub bird.

"No. How would she? Of all of teh' creatures in Underlan' that are plenty capable, why her? Why an Uplander?" His attitude towards the subject rang clear through his voice.

Mirana sighed, wiping her fingers on a towel. She moved to undo the bandage on the girls arm before she stopped, pulling the nightstand chair over. She sat down before continuing on. "Do you think I chose her personally? Tarrant, I don't enjoy this anymore than you do, but there is nothing I can do about it. It was foretold by the Oraculum, written by Fate herself. There is nothing either of us can do about it."

Tarrant watched his handkerchief leave Mina's arm, and the amount of blood was impressive. 'No wonder teh' little thing fainted.' Looked across the room, staring at himself in the mirror. His hair had grown slightly, not quite as burnt as it had been. His skin was still very pale, due to the massive amounts of mercury was exposed to day in and day out. He sighed, looking away. He looked so tired.

"Ye' know this is her future, don't ye'? Unconscious and wounded, being patched up by ye' for the rest of her life. There's no future in this for her." He said, his voice dry and quiet. Even as he argued on the girl's behalf, it was obvious to him that he might as well be talking the wall. Mirana was right, neither of them were capable of changing any thing, but that didn't improve the situation any.

"We can train her, teach her. I'll teach her everything I know about Underland, the White Knight can teach her to be a leader, and you can make her a warrior." Mirana looked up at him, awaiting the reaction that was building inside Tarrant.

"I will not make 'er into anything. I will not be apart of ruining 'er life." He was almost surprised that Mirana actually had the tenacity to ask him.

"Tarrant, you are the most skilled swordsman in my kingdom, and quite the skilled fighter. If you teach her, then you give her the best chance she has at any sort of future. We need to give her a fighting chance."

One thing Tarrant hated more than anything was when Mirana tried to reason with him. He scoffed, rising from the bed. "What happens if she happens teh' say no? What if she turns around and marches right back out of teh' doors?"

Mirana reached for a towel, dabbing it in a small bowl of water. "If she declined, she wouldn't make it out of Underland alive, Tarrant. As for Underland, the results of her death would be catastrophic."

"What do ye' mean?"

"I mean that something bad is coming, something very bad, and It's coming regardless of Mina's decision. Mina holds the key to Underlands future. Whatever is coming, she's the only one who can stop it." Mirana smeared some of the purple paste on Mina's elbow, and Tarrant could practically taste the sickly sweet smell of it from across the room. He moved away from the bed, back towards the door.

"And ye' have no idea what's coming?" He asked, his left hand reaching for the door knob.

"No."

Tarrant's fingers wrapped around the door knob, and as he pulled the door open Mirana stopped him.

"Tarrant, please consider my request."

He laughed, shaking his head. He opened the door, stepping outside. Tarrant shut the door behind him quietly, leaning against it. He closed his eyes for a few moments, taking several deep breaths. Just the thought of having to handle a sword again made his heart race. He balled his hands in to fists, and he could practically feel the rough hilt of his sword in his hand.

A sudden sharp pain in his ankle caused him to jump, opening his eyes wide. He looked down, finding Mally clinging to his pant leg, her hat pin in hand.

"Well? Are ye' going to do it?" She asked, her tiny eyes staring up at him.

"Ye' were listening the entire time, weren't ye'?" He asked, walking away from the door.

"Naturally. Now, are ye' going to do it?"

Tarrant shrugged his shoulders a tad. "I haven't teh' slightest idea."

Mally settled on the top of his shoe. "Well, let's go have a cup'a tea and figure it out."

Nodding his head, Tarrant reached the end of the hallway, exiting through the set of doors. He felt the cold eyes of Arieh and Areli on his back as he walked away, and he could have sworn he heard them laughing.

"Don't mind them, Hatter. Two cocky piles of rocks, if ye' ask me."

"I couldn't agree with ye' more." Tarrant said, turning down the hallway that lead to the kitchen. With his mind beyond frazzled, Tarrant resolved to put off all other endeavors until he had a nice warm cup of tea in his system.

* * *

><p>Mina's midnight black locks of hair were spread across a satin white pillow case, her arms and legs sprawled over the bed. There was a dull ache in her back, and in an effort to alleviate it she rolled over onto her left side, groaning at her protesting muscles.<p>

Reaching her hand out, Mina felt around the bed for her phone, her eyes held tightly shut. She wasn't prepared for being that kind of awake yet. She rubbed her face roughly with her hand, trying to wake her self up.

Mina sighed, her mind reliving the details of her all too vivid dream. She cracked her eyes open just a tad, shutting them quickly. Judging by the amount of light in the room, it was at least noon, if not later.

'Time to get up and face reality.' She thought, wondering how she wound up in bed in the first place. For a moment she entertained the thought that Daniel had placed her there after he beat her unconscious, but even that was giving him too much credit. She decided to chalk it up to memory loss, most likely due to emotional and physical trauma.

Mina tried to clear her throat, but to no avail. Her throat was dry, and each time she swallowed it felt like she was drinking sand paper. She sat herself up in bed, covering her eyes with her hand until they adjusted to the light, dropping her hand once she could finally see.

"Yer' awake!" Said a familiar voice.

"Mallymkun!" Mina said, holding her hand over her heart. Her voice was hoarse, and she almost regretted speaking. She looked down at Mally, who was standing on her bed next to her.

"How long have I been asleep?" Mina asked, taking in the details of the room around her. The bed she was laying in was huge, with satin curtains lining the white marble bed frame. Most of the furniture in the room was made out of the same white colored marble, and Mina was beginning to realize that the 'white' in the White Queen wasn't just a name, it was more of a lifestyle.

"Since Tuesday."

"Today would happen to be..?" Mina asked, fighting the strong urge to roll her eyes at her small guest.

Next to the bed was a white wooden chair, 'That's a change.' Mina noted. Perched off the side of it was a tall brown hat with a very faded red sash tied around the base. Within seconds Mina recognized the worn and torn hat, flashing her eyes across the room once more to look for it's owner.

"Today? Well, yesterday was Saturday, so it must be Thursday."

Mina looked back at Mallymkun, who had quite the inquisitive look upon her face.

"How on earth does Thursday come after Saturday?" Mina asked daringly.

"Well it has to come after something, doesn't it?" Mally asked rather sternly, her attitude shining through.

"How many days?"

Mally laughed, climbing up the mass of blankets to stand on Mina's thigh. "Oh futs, that's all ye' wanted to know? Why didn't ye' just say so?"

"Mally." Mina said, trying to get her back on topic.

"Ah, yes. Near' three days, I'd say."

'Three days? How does a person sleep for three days?' She hadn't considered any of her injuries to be that threatening, but perhaps the sheer amount of them had something to do with. Those, coupled with running her ass of for two hours straight, had likely done her in.

"Is there any water?" Mina asked, trying not to over - think her self so early in the day, even if was already noon.

"Of course! I'll go have teh' Hatter prepare an extra cup for ye'. I expect teh' Queen would like to know yer' awake as well." Mally looked her over once, grimacing. "You know, on second thought, yer' looking a bit of a mess if ye' don't mind me sayin'. I'll have one of the toads get a bath ready for ye', and bring the tea tray up to ye' myself. Then ye'll be able to meet with the Queen, once we get all of that dry blood of ye'." Mina blinked at Mally, a little surprised by her blunt honesty.

Before Mina had a chance to get a word back in Mally was leaping from the bed, scurrying across the room and under the door, leaving Mina alone in the room. Rather than wonder about how Mally was going to bring her an entire tea tray, Mina moved the covers off of her body, looking down at her legs. The small scraps and bruises had vanished, leaving only their dried blood behind. She looked back at her elbow, finding the skin healed and scar less.

With hope rising within her, Mina raised a hand to her face, surprised to feel the sharp ache of a bruise as she pressed her fingers down. She wiggled her nose as well, her eyes watering in response. Disappointed that only her most recent marks had healed, Mina sighed. 'Of course they didn't heal as well. That would have been far to easy.'

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Mina turned, hanging her legs off the edge of the bed. An ornate full body mirror hung across the room, and in a moment of self - deprecation she stood, making her way to it.

Mina's first thought was that Mally had been far too kind to her. Her hair was a dirty mess, her face almost frightful. Her clothes and skin were covered in dirt and dried blood, and her top was ruined. 'Might as well throw out the shorts while I'm at it. There are more holes than material at this point.'

Hearing the bath water begin to run, Mina looked around the room to make sure she was still alone. She turned so that her left side was facing the mirror, lifting her shirt slowly. A large foot - shaped bruise discoloring her skin. She heard the door knob turn behind her and she dropped her shirt, turning to face the door.

'So Mally had been literally when she said 'toad'. Fantastic. There seem to be more animals here than anything else." The toad, rather frog, stood in front of her, dressed rather sharply. In his hand were three white towels, each a different size.

Bowing his head, the frog had a rather stern look on his face. "Your bath is drawn, Miss. Leave your clothes in the basket inside. Would you like to save them?" He asked her, outstretching his arms to her as she took the towels.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "What's your name?"

"Riverton, Miss."

Mina gave him a blank look, assuming that Riverton wasn't much of a talker. "Well, it's nice to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is mine."

Mina nodded her head, turning around just in time to realize that she didn't even know where the bathroom was.

"Ah, Riverton?" Mina asked, seeing three identical doors placed around the room.

"Last door on your left. Middle door is the dressing room and closet, and the door on the right is your study."

Mina smiled, wondering what she had done to deserve her own private study. "Thanks." She said, moving to the far side of the room. She looked back to find the room empty, Riverton gone. "Quick little fella." She thought aloud, opening the bathroom door.

While Mina had prepared herself for extravagance, she was still surprised by the sheer beauty of the room. Everything from the trim of the picture frames to the claw feet on the bathtub matched perfectly. The bath tub sat a few feet away from the back wall, a window sitting on the wall behind it. The smell of vanilla and pumpkin invaded her senses, the smell getting stronger as she approached the bath tub. The bath was filled to the brim with sudsy water, and instead of staring at it any longer Mina decided to get in.

Setting her towels on the small table next to the tub, Mina peeled her clothes off, dropping them inside the small wicker basket that sat on the floor. Moving slowly, she dipped one foot in the water, finding the bottom before stepping inside carefully. Mina sat down, slipping underneath the water for several seconds.

Surfacing just in time to hear a knock at the door, Mina wiped the water from her face, yelling in the direction of the door. "Come in."

The door swung open, revealing not only Mally, but a fish carrying a tea tray and stand.

The two entered the room, Mally pushing the door shut. The fish approached her first, setting the stand up, balancing the tray on top of it. "Good afternoon, dear. I'm Arowana, and I'll be your fishservant while you're staying in the castle."

"I told her I could handle it meh' self." Mally protested, earning herself a polite glare from the fish. Arowana knelt, lifting Mally up to the tea tray. Arowana started to make a cup of tea, adding equal parts of sugar and cream. She handed the cup to Mina, who took one slow sip before downing the entire cup. "Thank you, very much." Mina said, handing her back the cup.

"We brought you some cakes, but you'll be having lunch with Her Majesty in her study, so best not to fill up. Now, may I wash your hair, dear?" Arowana asked, an eager look on her face.

Although Mina wanted to protest, as she was more than capable of washing her own hair, she forced a smile, not wanting to upset Arowana. "Yes, that would be fine."

The fish moved quickly, moving a small stool behind the bath tub. Mina gave Mally a look of apprehension, while Mally rolled on the tea tray laughing. "Mallymkum." Mina said, narrowing her eyes. She quieted, standing up straight. "Ah, yes."

Seeing this as an opportunity to fish some information out of Mally, Mina began to question her as Arowana combed out her hair.

"Mally, you said I've been asleep for three days?"

"Nearly that. Ye' were quite beat up when ye' got here. The Queen took care of most of your injuries, as ye' likely noticed." Mally said matter - of - factly, nibbling on a cake.

"Just how did she 'take care' of my injuries? All of them are completely healed."

"Teh' Queen is the best healer in all of Underland. Capable of healing almost anything, if she knows how you got the injury, of course."

Mina didn't feel comfortable lingering on the topic any longer, so she decided to ask the questions that were on the fore - front of her mind. "Why, exactly, am I here Mally?"

Mally sat her cake down, sighing. "I don't beleive I'm teh' person to explain that to ye'. Not teh' most qualified. I expect ye'll be learnin' that during lunch."

Mina huffed, turning her head to look out the window. The garden below was large and breathtaking, with several creatures out and about in it.

"Can you at least tell me how long I'll be here?" She asked, her eyes glued to the window. She knew not to expect much of an answer.

"I suppose that depends on ye'." Mally answered.

A cool rush of water flowed over Mina's head, causing her to jump. "Sorry, dear." Arowana said, patting her on the head with her fin. "Next time I'll warn you. All finished here. You wash up, and I'll have your clothes laid out on your bed." With those words said, the fish hopped of the stool, exiting the room.

"Finally! Now that she's out of the picture, there is something I can tell ye'." Mally said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Mina turned to face her, grabbing a wash cloth from her stack of towels. "Well, go on. Don't keep me waiting."

"There are great things in store for ye' here, Mina. Great things. If ye' decide to stay, of course."

Pondering that thought for a few moments, Mina wasn't sure how she was supposed to take that. She hadn't considered the possibility of her being able to go home, mostly because she wasn't sure if it was do - able. "So, I can choose to go home, if I want?" She asked carefully.

"Of course ye' can. Nobody can force ye' to stay here." Mally said, raising her eye brow at her.

"Pardon me, Miss Mally." Mina said, laughing. "I've never traveled to a different world before, I don't know the rules."

Once she finished washing up, she stood, wrapping one of the large towels around her body. Knowing that she had the option to return home was the best news she had received since arriving in Underland.

Stepping out of the tub, Mina realized for the first time how large it was. It would take three of herself to take up the entire tub. Making her way towards the door, she heard Mally clear her throat, earning a small laugh from Mina. She turned around, retrieving Mally from the tea tray. "My apologies." She said, carrying Mally out of the bath room with her.

"Just don't let it happen again." Mally said, her voice so very serious that Mina knew she was joking.

* * *

><p>Mina stood outside a set of double doors, her hands in fists at her sides. She was beyond nervous for her lunch with the Queen, so nervous that she wasn't sure if she could eat anything at all, even though she hadn't eaten in days. She was dressed in a white, 'Go figure.', shirt and pant set that looked almost oriental. The material was comfortable enough, but she felt oddly stuffy. She had been standing outside the Queen's study for about a minute, but it felt like an hour. When the door knobs finally began to turn, she thought she was going to have a heart attack.<p>

The doors opened wide to reveal a very messy room. There were books strewn about everywhere with scraps of paper and notes decorating them nicely. In the center of the room stood a circular table topped with foods of all kinds, most of which she didn't recognize. Two chairs sat on either side, but the Queen was no where to be found. Stepping inside, Mina looked from side to side to see how the doors had been opened, finding no one.

"Oh thank goodness you're here!" A voice sang from behind her, causing her to leap forward a few feet. She held a hand over her heart, wondering if people were trying to kill her today.

Turning around, Mina found the White Queen standing behind her, dressed in a equally beautiful gown as she had been three days ago. Mina couldn't help but wonder if she wore them while she was sleeping as well.

"Come, come, dear." The Queen said, ushering her along to the table. The Queen took one of the chairs, gesturing for Mina to take the other. Mina sat down at the table, watching as the doors shut themselves.

The Queen smiled at her, and Mina attempted a sheepish smile back. The Queen started to laugh, leaving Mina to wonder what on earth was so funny.

"Darling, you must either eat or speak, preferably both."

"S -sorry. I just, uh.."

"Don't know what to say? That's perfectly fine my dear. How about I start with the talking, and you can eat? I highly recommend Thackery's Waash."

While Mina hadn't considered Thackery capable of cooking anything, she helped herself to some of the Waash, along with several other things that looked tasteful. Mina watched as the Queen ate only the Waash, assuming that it must really like it.

"Now, as much as I would like to keep this lunch carefree, I'm afraid we have several things to discuss. I would like to start out by commending you on your fight with the Jubjub." The Queen said, taking a small bite of her food.

Mina swallowed her mouthful of food before speaking, trying not to make her self look too rude. "Thank you, but I'd hardly call it a fight. More of a chase, than anything else. It was a stroke of luck that I managed to knock it out."

"Either way, I heard wonderful things about your skills. I assume that you were told where you are, which is Underland."

Mina nodded her head in response.

"Good Underland is below your world, which we generally refer to as Upland. As I understand it, your gateway between the worlds was a rabbit's hole?"

Mina nodded her head slowly this time, wondering how the Queen could know the details of her arrival. "How did you know that?" She asked.

"There are many things I know about you, but that I discovered before you arrived here. You see, things work differently here. Time, Fate, Love, Life, they all play a much larger role in Underland than they do in Upland. Sometimes, Fate likes to give us a peek at what is coming ahead, especially when it's important. Our calendar is the Oraculum, and it tells of every day that has passed and will pass in the future. Nearly a week ago, I was peering at it the balcony and found the day of your arrival, the Gumpling day."

Taking in the information, Mina took a deep breath. She didn't understand what any of this had to do with her. "Your Majesty? She asked. "Why am I here? What is so important about it?"

The Queen smiled at her softly, which worried Mina. There was a look of sympathy and compassioin hiding behind her kind features.

"You are here to save Underland."

Mina nearly choked on the food she had been swallowing, coughing several times before looking up at the Queen. "I don't understand. How do I save Underland. No offense, but this place seems pretty big, and I'm only one person, with no special abilities at that." Mina finally realized what Mally had meant by 'great things'.

"Let us start with a little History first, shall we? Since the Beginning, when the first rulers took control of Underland, they created the Doctrines. Most of them are unimportant to you, however, the First applies directly to the situation we are in now. The first Doctrine states, 'Every King or Queen of Underland, wed or not, shall have a Champion.'"

"A Champion? Like a knight or something?" Mina asked, setting her food to the side. There was far too much on her mind to attempt to eat any more.

"No, no. I have plenty of Knights. A Champion is many things, as well as the second most important position in the Kingdom. They are the personal guards and advisors of their Majesty. Champions command the armies, handle foreign affairs, and so many other things."

The Queen's point was becoming perfectly obvious to Mina. Mina leaned back in the chair, taking a deep breath. "Woah.." She said quietly.

"Woah, indeed. It is quite the heavy task."

"There has to be some mistake. I can't possibly be your Champion." Mina said, staring at the Queen from across the table.

"I'm afraid there is no mistake, my dear. Fate has named you as my Champion."

"Do I even get a say in all of this?"

"Of course you do. I cannot force you to accept your role as Champion. No one can, but I wish to be frightfully honest with you. The Oraculum has made perfectly clear it's position on the matter. If you fail to accept your role as Champion, the terrible things in store for Underland will surely happen. I understand that this may be of little importance to you, but if I am not mistaken, you have already made several friends here. I understand the place I'm putting you in by telling you this, but you must understand. The lives of Underland are not the only at stake."

"What do you mean..?" Mina asked, suddenly very worried for herself.

"Mina, Fate has named you as my Champion, and has made you a place in this world. In doing so, she has removed your place in your world. If you leave Underland and attempt to lead a life in Upland, your life will surely end early. I know not when or how, only that it will happen."

Mina sighed, her head completely over whelmed. Out of frustration, tears began to fall from her eyes. "This isn't fair.."

"I know it isn't. I've learned over the years that Fate has little concern for our feelings. It's all means to an end to Her."

"How am I meant to protect you or command an army? I can't even protect my self, let alone any one else." Mina stood from her chair, walking over to the nearest window. "I hardly qualify as any ones Champion. I know nothing about this place. How am I supposed to help you rule it?" She asked her eyes trapped inside the garden once more.

"I have the best in line to train you, to teach everything you could possibly need to know. Mina, I have complete faith in you. As inconsiderate as Fate can be, she would not have chosen you as my Champion if you weren't capable." Mina could hear the Queen approaching her, and she tore her eyes away from the garden to turn around and face her.

"What about my family?" She asked, leaning against the window.

"You can see them as much or as little as you would like." The Queen said, gesturing to a large floor length mirror sitting across the room. "There are very few gateways between worlds. The most common are rabbit holes, and mirrors."

Moving across the room, the Queen approached the mirror, waving her hand over the glass. Mina watched as the surface shimmered slightly, the image in the mirror changing. She could no longer see herself or the Queen, but rather the inside of a room. As Mina got closer, she could see that the room inside the mirror was her own.

"How did you...?"

The Queen laughed. "Plenty of practice, my dear. I'm one of three individuals capable of opening mirrors. If you stay, it will be something you will learn."

Mina turned away from the mirror, crossing her arms over her chest. "Say I decide to stay. What happens then?"

"If you stay, we begin to train you. Once your ready, you will take your Vows, and take your position as Champion."

"I need some time to think. This is all so much to take in." Mina said.

The Queen nodded her head. "Of course. I understand. You're handling this better than any Uplander I have ever met, and I've met seven."

"I suppose I'm just crazy, then."

"Or, you're meant to be in Underland."

Mina laughed slightly. _'Now that's a thought.'_

* * *

><p><em><em>it's a bit of a slow chapter guys, sorry!

comments, questions, concerns, ideas? let me know!

reviews are loved :]!


	5. Acceptance

The sun shone brightly through all of Underland, but it seemed to Mina that it shone a bit brighter in Marmoreal. She stood at the window, peering out into the garden for a few moments. She moved away, walking into her dressing room. She returned with a bundle of clothes in her arms, a pair of tennis shoes laying on top. She sat them on her bed, pulling off her pajamas. She pulled on a pair of black shorts, following with a white sports bra and tank top.

Sitting on her bed, Mina slipped her tennis shoes on and tied them tightly. She reached for her iPod, praying for a second, hoping that it would work. She almost fainted when the screen came on, smiling as she put a headphone in each ear. Setting in on shuffle, Mina stood, walking over to the door leading to the hallway. Following the circular hallway, she found her way out into one of the main hallways. She stretched for a few moments before taking off at an evenly paced run.

Mina kept her breathing at a smooth rhythm, following the hallway. She had absolutely no idea where she was headed, but she didn't really care. It had been two days since her chat with the Queen, and she had spent most of that time in her room with Mally. She had by no means made up her mind, but if she did decide to accept what was happening to her and stay, she didn't want to be completely out of shape.

The longer she waited to make a decision, Mina realized that there was barely a decision to make. If what the Queen said was true, and according to Mally it was, Mina had a future in Underland. If she returned home she would most likely die, and dying wasn't something Mina had been looking forward to.

It wasn't like she was completely blameless in her predicament. Mina had been running from her problems, and she had wished countless times to be as far away from Daniel as possible. Her wish had come true, but in a way that she had never expected.

Rounding a corner Mina had to dodge a frog footman, yelling an apology over her shoulder as she continued on. The more time she spent in the castle the more she felt at home. Mally had become her best friend, and she had become much more comfortable with the Queen. Unfortunately, she hadn't seen Tarrant since the day she arrived, despite her invitations to him. Mina was beginning to suspect that he was avoiding her, but Mally wouldn't say. She wanted desperately to talk to him about what was happening to her, to get his advice, but that obviously wasn't going to happen.

Mina had promised the Queen that she would have a decision made within the week, and she was running out of time. She had no idea what day of the week it actually was, but she suspected that it was Wednesday, which meant to her that she only had two days left to make up her mind.

Mina passed the door to the kitchen, spying the Queen inside with Thackery. For a moment she considered stopping to say good morning, but ran on instead. For the first time in days she was able to think clearly, to contemplate her options, and Mina knew that that would be the best way to make her decision.

More than anything, Mina wished that she could sit down and talk to her sister. Even though she was young, Grace had always been Mina's rock. The guilt Mina felt about leaving her and her parents was the biggest thing holding Mina back. If Mina decided to go home, she couldn't go back to her family, Daniel would never leave her alone if she did. Mina shuddered at the thought of going back to Daniel. _'He would probably kill me.'_ She thought. _'Which would make sense, considering everything I've been told.' _If there was any way Mina could see her life ending early as the Queen had said it would, it would be at the hands of Daniel.

At least if she stayed in Underland, Mina could see her family again. Mina could almost laugh at the thought of explaining where she was to her sister or parents, or at their faces as she walked out of a mirror.

Running up a flight of stairs, Mina huffed, finally pausing once she reached the top of them. She put her hands on top of her head, closing her eyes. She walked along, trying to lower her heart rate slowly. She had ran for almost an hour and had no idea where she was within the castle. The music continued to play through her headphones, drowning out any other noise. Mina opened her eyes just in time to see a door swing open in front of her, Mina shrieking in surprise as she jumped out of its way. She pulled her headphones out, wrapping them around her iPod, only to drop it when she saw who was coming out of the door.

"Tarrant." She said, kneeling down to pick up her iPod. She looked up at him, his brilliant emerald eyes smiling at her.

"Well, well. Good Morning to ye' too, lass. I hope Underlan' has been treating ye' well?" He asked, earning a humph from Mina as she stood up.

"Not that _you_ would know anything about it, but yes. It has."

"Lass, yer' too cute when yer' tryin' teh' be mad." Tarrant laughed.

"I'm _not_ mad." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn't going to let him get a rise out of her.

"Oh dear, but I'm afraid ye' are. Ye' have every right to be. I've been quite rude."

Mina raised an eyebrow at him. "Why have you been avoiding me? I seem to remember some one _promising _me that I would see you again."

Tarrant smiled softly at her, a hint of guilt shining in his eyes. "I did promise ye'. I just had some very important things to deal with, ye' see. However, that is all done and over with. Ye'll be able to have as much of me as ye' can handle, lass." He said, his voice deepening slightly. Mina smiled, accepting his not so apologetic apology with a light blush on her face.

"I suppose you know about what's going on?" Mina asked.

Tarrant nodded his head, looping his arm through hers. "Indeed I do, but I would love to hear about it from ye'. That is, if ye' would have tea with me on this fine morning?"

Mina narrowed her eyes at him before nodding her head. "I think I can fit you in."

"I'm honored." Tarrant said, leading her back towards the stair case. "Oh, ye' wouldn't have happened to unravel the riddle I left ye' with, have ye?"

Mina laughed. "As a matter of fact I have."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I am as large as a castle, yet lighter than air. A hundred men and their horses cannot move me. I am a castle's shadow." Mina said, a look of triumph on her face.

Tarrant giggled, patting her arm. "Congratulations. Have you managed to keep this from Mally?"

"Just barely. She threatened to cut my toes off if I didn't tell her. Fortunately enough, she seems to have forgotten about it."

"Oh dear." Tarrant said, giggling even harder.

"You wouldn't be so entertained if it were _your_ toes on the line." Mina said, nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

"So _feisty._" Tarrant said playfully.

"You don't know the half of it." Mina said, following Tarrant through a maze of hallways before they arrived in the kitchen. The Queen was no where in sight, but Thackery was dancing about the room with a dirty towel, humming off - key. Tarrant lead Mina to the table that sat on the far side of the room, pulling a chair out for her. Mina sat down, watching as Tarrant took the seat across from her.

"I take it ye' haven't made yer' decision yet."

"Not quite." Mina said, pouring tea into the cup before her.

"Do explain." Tarrant said, taking his hat off, setting it on the table next to him.

Mina took a sip of her tea, setting the cup back on the table. "My options are very limited. If I go home Underland is screwed, and I die. If I stay, well, I become Champion."

"Doesn't seem like a very tough decision teh' me." Tarrant said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"If I stay I have a future, even if it's an uncertain one, it's better than no future at all."

"It sounds like ye've made up yer' mind, lass."

Mina sighed, leaning back in her chair. "This is the biggest decision I've ever had to make. What would you do?" She asked.

"My opinion isn't the one that matters, lass. Ye' know the dangers of staying and leaving. Ye' have to decide what is best for _ye'_ and no one else."

"I know." Mina took another sip of her tea, turning her head as she heard someone enter the room. The Queen stood at the end of the table, a book in her arms.

"Tarrant, your presence has been requested in the garden." The Queen said, turning to Mina next. "Good morning! It looks as though you had quite the run."

Mina watched as Tarrant stood, placing his hat back on his head. He waved her good - bye before leaving the kitchen. Mina turned her attention back to the Queen, forcing a smile to her lips. "I needed to clear my head. Would it be possible to speak with you for a few minutes, your Majesty?" Mina asked.

The Queen smiled. "Of course, but I told you to call me Mirana. Would you like to talk some where more private, perhaps?"

Mina nodded her head. "That would be great, Mirana."

Tarrant stood in the garden, enjoying the peaceful silence of the morning. Today was possibly one of the most important days of his life. It was the day he was going to meet his soon - to - be wife. He had never dreamed that he would one day get married, especially after the destruction of the Hightopp clan, but Fate worked in mysterious ways. He had believed for years that he was the only remaining Hightopp in all of Underland. Then one day he received a letter from a woman named Claria, claiming to be a Hightopp.

Tarrant had been surprised to learn of her existence, and even more surprised by her marriage proposal. Claria wanted to rebuild the Hightopp clan, and she wanted Tarrant to help her do so.

Tarrant agreed, although he had been reluctant at first. He realized his duty to his clan, but he didn't feel right agreeing to marry a perfect stranger. He met with Claria once to discuss the idea, ultimately deciding to marry her. She had fiery orange hair that fell to her shoulders in curls, with emerald green eyes. There was no denying that she was indeed a Hightopp.

"Tarrant!" A familiar voice called from behind.

Tarrant stood, turning around to face his guest. "Claria. It's great to see you again." He said, a smile gracing his lips.

The woman rounded the stone bench, standing in front of Tarrant. She was wearing a dark burgundy dress, her hair tied in a small bun at the base of her neck. "Like wise. Shall we sit?"

Tarrant nodded his head, the two sitting on the bench quietly before Claria broke the silence. "Well, I suppose we should get right down to business. I'd like us to be married as soon as possible, so I was thinking about six months from now. How does that sound?" Claria asked, Tarrant's eyes glued to the sky. His mind had been completely flustered ever since he ran into Mina that morning.

For a moment, he entertained the thought of discussing wedding plans with Mina rather than Claria, a genuine smile creeping onto his face.

"Tarrant?" Claria asked, a rather annoyed look on her face.

"Yes, of course. Ah, six months? I suppose that'll do."

"Fantastic. You'll be coming back to Hash with me after the wedding as well, wont you?"

Tarrant looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Ye' want me to leave Marmoreal?"

Claria smiled. "Well of course. We'll be far too busy for you to still be making hats."

"I don't know.." Tarrant said, staring down at his hands. He couldn't imagine not making hats, let alone leaving behind his friends.

"Tarrant, I know this is difficult, but please try to understand. We have more important things to worry about. Like rebuilding our clan."

Tarrant sighed. "I know. I agree."

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's talk about something happier. I was thinking yellow tulips for the wedding." Claria said, Tarrant nodding his head in agreement. He didn't want to offend her by saying so, but he could really care less about the details of the wedding.

Tarrant listened to Claria ramble on about flowers and colors for another hour before Riverton, one of the frog footman entered the garden. He stood before the two, bowing to them both before clearing his throat.

"The Queen has requested everyone meet in the throne room at once."

Claria huffed as Tarrant stood, Tarrant forcing a smile to his lips. "I'm afraid we're going teh' have teh' cut this a bit short."

Claria nodded her head, standing. "I'll write you with the rest of the details."

"Riverton, would ye' mind escorting Claria to teh' gates?"

Riverton shook his head, gesturing for Claria to follow his. Tarrant watched as the two walked away, sitting back down for a moment. He wondered if he was doing the right thing by marrying Claria. He knew everyone would be furious with him, especially once they learned that he was leaving Marmoreal. However, he knew it was his duty to rebuild his clan, and this was the best way to do so. There was no turning back now.

Tarrant rose from the stone bench, heading back into the castle.

Mina took a deep breath, watching as every castle inhabitant made their way into the throne room. She stood beside Mirana, who was seated in a beautiful white marble throne. The pews were almost full, but Tarrant and a few others had yet to arrive. Nivens stood in front of the Queen, holding his pocket watch in his hand.

Mirana had dressed Mina in another white outfit, only this one was slighlty more embellished than the one she had worn only days ago. Nivens snapped his watch shut as Tarrant took his seat in the first row, a rather solemn look on his face. Mina's eyes met his for a moment, only for Tarrant to look away from her. She didn't have time to process his actions, for only seconds later Nivens cleared his throat, the room falling silent.

"The Queen would like to make an announcement."

Mirana rose, her hands clasped together. "My dear friends, it is with great pleasure that I announce I have chosen a Champion." Mirana turned, gesturing Mina forward. Mina took a deep breath, looking around the room. She found Mally in front, the mouse waving at her happily. Mina smiled, standing up tall.

"I present, Miss Wilhelmina Bethany Bauer."

The room erupted with applause, and Mina beamed. She could see a surprised look on Tarrant's face in the corner of her eye, but she refused to look his way.

Mirana excused the room, leading Mina out through a side door. Mina followed Mirana through the castle, back to the Queen's study. Mirana shut the doors behind them, a smile gracing her lips. "See, it wasn't bad at all."

Mina nodded her head in agreement. "No, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as I thought it would be."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now the real fun begins." Mirana said, looking around the room. She began grabbing various books, making a stack on one of the table. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to have you start reading up on some things."

Mina shook her head. "No, it's probably best to dive right in." Mina watched as the stack of books continued to grow, Mirana starting a second stack.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Mirana said, adding one last book to the collection.

"What's going on with Tarrant?"

Mirana sighed. "That is a question I would like answered my self. He's been acting very strangely for the past month now. I fear he's hiding something from me."

"Everything was fine this morning, but when I saw him in the throne room he wouldn't even look me in the eyes." Mina said, grabbing one of the stacks of books, Mirana taking the other.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of what's going on, whether he likes it or not. Even Mallymkun is beginning to worry about him." Mirana said, the two carrying the stack of books down to Mina's study. The room was huge, the walls lined with books. Mirana sat her stack on the large desk, Mina following suit.

"Well, if I can be of any help, let me know." Mina said, looking around the room. There was a particularly comfy looking chair next to the fire place that looked like an excellent place to read.

"I will. For now, let's worry about you. I've arranged a schedule for you, and wanted to go over it with you. From seven to eleven you'll be learning physical skills, such as fighting. Eleven to one is lunch, from one to four you'll be with the White Knight learning to command the armies. After dinner you'll be with me, learning everything I know about Underland and alchemy." Mirana said, a smile on her face. Mina laughed dryly, nodding her head. She had expected nothing less.

"Sounds like a plan." Mina said.

"Now, if you start to feel over whelmed, all you have to do is say so and we'll slow things down a bit."

"Got it."

"Fantastic. Why don't you start reading, and I'll have lunch sent up to you? Meet me for dinner in the kitchen at six, and we'll start our lessons tonight." Mirana said, making her way towards the door. "I suggest starting with A History of Underland. It's simply fascinating." With that said, Mina watched as the Queen exited the room, the door latching shut behind her.

Mina looked through the stack of books, finding A History of Underland. She laughed at the three inch thick book, taking it in her arms. She walked over to one of the couches, grabbing a pillow. She plopped down on the couch, crossing her legs. She sat the book her her lap, opening the book. Mina was relieved to see that it was fully illustrated. She heard the door open, looking back over her should to see Mally scurrying towards her.

"Brilliant announcement. A little short for my tastes." Mally said. Mina lowered her hand to the ground, Mally climbing on to it.

"Well, I suppose there wasn't much else to say." Mina said, bringing Mally up to the couch. Mally stood on the book, looking down at the pictures.

"I see that teh' Queen has given ye' quite the reading list."

"You could say that." Mina said, laughing.

"Want me to keep ye' company?"

Mina nodded her head. "That would be fantastic. Did I tell you I saw Tarrant this morning?"

Mally look at her curiously. "No! How is the bohunkus? I haven't seen him in days me' self."

Mina shrugged. "Everything was fine, then he had a guest in the garden. The next time I saw him was during the announcement, and he wouldn't look at me. There's something fishy going on. Even Mirana has noticed it."

"Hmm.. I suppose that we'll just have teh' get teh' the bottom of it, wont we?" Mally said, a grin on her face.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Miss Mally."


End file.
